Archibald a



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. A. DIGKSON. MACHINE FOR REDUCING CRUDE PEAT T0 FUEL. N0.'451,464.

Patented May 5,1891.

THE Moms IEYLRS 00., mow-mam, msamcmu. n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. A. DIOKSON.

MACHINE FOR REDUCING CRUDE PEAT T0 FUEL. No. 451,464. Patented May5,1891.

To ez/ UNITE. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD A. DICKSON, OF ODTE ST. ANTOINE, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR REDUCING CRUDE PEAT TO FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,464, dated 'May 5,1891.

Application filed July'l, 1890. $erial No. 357,406- (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD A. DICK- SON, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Cote St. Antoine, in the District of Montreal, andDominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Reducing Crude Peat to Fuel, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improved apparatus for the manufacture of peat fuel.It is designed to carry out the improved process for the treatment ofthe natural product of peat,with a special object of facilitating theremoval of the moisture and the consequent reduction of the naturalproduct to a condition in which it may be used as fuel.

The distinguishing feature of the process or principle of operation liesin the treatment of the mass of wet peat as it comes from the bog insuch manner so as to eliminate the moisture at every step of the processwithout reducing the mass to a pasty condition, without necessitatingthe application. of artificial heat, and without breaking up the fiberswhich the peat contains and which are necessary or advantageous atleast,for the better coherence of the matter when it is in the form fit to beused as fuel. I have hereinafter described the method of treatment inconnection with the apparatus which I have devised for earrying on themethod.

This apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figurel represents the apparatus partlyin side elevation and part-1y invertic.l section, the drying cylinder being shown in transverse sectionon line a; w of Fig. 3,for convenience, some of the pipe-connections infront of the section-line being represented by dotted lines. Fig. 2represents the horizontal section on line was, Fig. 1, of thecompressing-conveyor and the pressure-rolls connected therewith. Fig. 3represents longitudinal vertical section of the drying-cylinder, andalso shows the relation of the rubber-clad rolls thereto. Fig. 4 shows aplan view of the compressing apparatus. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view ofthe tub and top plate of the compressor.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a chute, by means of which crude peatis introduced into a conveyor and compressing apparatus, which is'markedB. This part of the appa ratus serves at the same time as a compressorto force out the moisture from the crude pea-t and to convey the peat tothe first set of cyl-' inders. It consists of ataperin g case, (marked1,) made rectangularin cross-seetion,as shown in Fig. 2. Within it islocated a tapering screw-conveyer, (marked2.) This has its bearings inthe ends of the case, and its shaft is provided with a pinion 8, bymeans of which it maybe driven. The case is provided with openings atthe corners, as shown at 4: preferably throughout the entire length ofthe case, for the escape of the water pressed out as the crude peatpasses down under the pressure of the screw-conveyer. The sides of thecase are extended and bent around over these series of holes, so as tocover them; but an opening is left, as shown in Fig. 2, for the escapeof the water from the channels formed by these extensions. Theconstruction is shown at 5 in Fig. 2. The covering-flanges 5 are allturned in one'direction, and that is opposite to the motion of thescrew-conveyor, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The crude peatbeing introduced into the upper and larger end of the case it is forceddown by its own weight and by the motion of the screw, and as it iscarried constantly over the narrower part of the case it is more andmore compressed, and consequently is compelled to part with the waterwhich it contains in its crude condition, or with a considerable part ofit. At the same time it will be observed that the mass of peat is notstirred or beaten since the screw forms one continual blade which passesthrough the peat without agitating it and without reducing it to a pastycondition, in which condition it is very diiiicult to eliminate thewater, since the water becomes the more thoroughly mixed and the solidparts more thoroughly dissolved as the crude material is the morethoroughly agitated, and it is for this reason that the material ismoved and compressed by the devices which caused no agitation.

From the bottom of the compressor-case a pipe or spout 0 leads to thefirst set of cylinders which squeeze the material to further eliminatethe moisture. The end of the pipe 0 is of. flattened bell shape,so thatthe exit is a narrow vertically-arranged slot. This is located betweenthe two cylinders F F. These introduced to the cylinder K.

cylinders are covered with an absorbent material, such as most fibrousarticles or felt, and this covering being of sufficient thickness, asindicated at U in Fig. 2, it absorbs the moisture expressed from thepeat passing between the cylinders, which is drained off through theholes 7 into the interior of the cylinders, from which it escapesthrough pipes 9, leading from circular pans 8 at the bottom. The peat,after passing through this pair of cylinders, falls between the secondpair, (marked G G.) These, as shown, are arranged in a horizontalposition. They have a facing of rubber marked 0. l have shown aninclined chute 10 for guiding the peat as itfalls from the cylinders Fto the proper point between the cylinders G. The cylinders maybeadjusted by means of a set-screw l], and are held in vertical adjustableposition by a screwshaft .12, one at each end. .llelow the cylinders Gis ahopper ll. (Shown also in Fig. 3.) This leads into the open upperends of the drying-cylinder K. liefore entering this d rying-cylinderthe greater part of the water has been removed by the previouscompression, and in this form it is In falling from the rolls the massis more or less broken or agitated, and it may be further loosed bydevices provided for this purpose, if desired. This cylinder is open atboth ends. It is provided with a heating-jacket entirely surrounding itand is set in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. i. It is providedwith means for turning it, these consisting, preferably, of the pinion15, which meshes into a gear 1!; on the periphery of the cylinder at theupper end. The lower end is supported upon rollers set in a verticaladjustable frame M, Fig. 3), adjusted by the device L, by means of whichthe inclination of the cylinder may be varied. The spout of the hopperll projects into the cylinder-chamber at the upper end, so as to deliverthe material thereto. The cylinder-chamber is provided with longitudinalflanges on its interior surfaces set radially, as shown at 46. It hasalso longitudinal heating-coils 17, supported about the axis of thecylinder and connected to a steam-supply pipe 18 (which is flexible topermit adjustment of cylinder) by means of suitable stuffing-boxes,which will permit the necessary rotary motion. The peat falls from thehopper ll into the upper end of the inclined cylinder and onto the lowerpart of the inner periphery thereof, and is immediately carried up bythe rotation and by theflanges to until said flanges are brought to suchan inclination that the peat slips off and falls. By reason of thegeneral inclination of the cylinder it passes gradually and by repeatedfalls from the upper to the lower end. During this passage through thecylinder it is subjected to a blast of air driven or drawn through fromthe lower to the upper end. This may be heated or not. It is better thatthe air should be dry, as thereby it more readily absorbs the moisturefrom the peat; but the larger part of the moisture being extracted fromthe peat in the previous operations and the peat having not been reducedto a pasty condition it is loose and comparatively fibrous and itisreadily heated as it passes through the cylinder, and in this heated andloose condition it falls through the current of air, exposing all itsparts to the action of air, and thus readily parting with its remainingmoisture. At the lower end of the cylinder it is discharged into a tubN. This is placed over and in connection with the compressingapparatusshown in Fig. 1 and also illustrated in Fig. l. The compressingapparatus works on the base illustrated in Fig. 1. The mainoperatingshaft 19 has gear-wheels 20, serving at the same time asfly-wheels, or any convenient means for rotating it. A crank and pitman21 connects with a plunger 22, which works in a comprcssion-ehannel 23and between the movable guides ll. The movable guides are operated bythe rods 25 through toggles 2U,these being operated by eccentrics on themain shaft. The movable guides have wings 27, the outer faces of whichare on a curve struck from the pivots of the guides, and they workclosely in front of boxes 28, in which are plungers 2t), worked bylevers 3d and rods 31, connected to eccentrics on the main shaft. Theguides move outward far enough to engage the ends of the boxes, and whenthey are at their outer limit the parts are so arranged that thesupplementary plungers move forward and push the material within therange of the guides, which are immediately moved inwardly and sweep thematerial in front of the plunger, which is then back. The toggles arethen straight and lock the guides, so as to form a continuation of thechannel in which the plunger works, and the material is compressed onthe sides as well as front and rear as it is continuously pushedforward. The tub has a bottom 32, inclined from the center outwardly,covering the working parts with the exception of the space over theboxes 98, so that the material, as it falls in the top, fills theseboxes every time the plungers are drawn back.

The cylinder is provided with an ordinary steam-jacket, preferably toincrease its heating capacity, and I have also provided a steam-jacketabout the channel in the compressing-machine, as shown at 3 1-, thesteampipe connecting to the cylinder-jacket at 18'.

At the beginning of the operation of compressing I plaee a tight-fittingblock in the channel, which serves as an obstruction, in order to getthe'initial resistance, and as the material is pressed against thisobstruction it atl'ords by its own friction sullicient; resistance togive the proper compression, and the TOR block is then forced out.Afterward the machine works by the friction of the material itselfagainst the walls.

I have described the case B as made rectangular in form. There is aspecial purpose by this. It leaves a mass of the crude peat in thecorners where the drainage-holes are, so that the mass of peat acts as astrainer through which the water is forced by the pressure. A triangularcross-section might be used, but the square cross-section is better.

From the description already given it will appear sufficient that in theoperation of the machine the crude material is worked forward underpressure Without agitation. This agitation is what I especially avoid,since it breaks up the fibers and more thoroughly mixes the materialsand more thoroughly absorbs the solid particles in the water, whichrenders it more difficnlt to extract the water and at the same timeproduces a past-y mass, which when formed into blocks is less cohercntthan the fibrous mass.

I claim as my invention- 1. 'A machine for the manufacture of peat fuelfrom the crude material, consisting of a tapering case having a taperingscrew, a pair of hollow cylinders covered with an absorbent material andhaving perforations to the interior for drainage, and a spout connectingthe bottom of the tapering case with the cylinders, substantially asdescribed.

2. A machine for the manufacture of peat fuel from the crude material,consisting of a tapering case having a tapering screw, apair of hollowcylinders covered with an absorbent material and having perforations tothe interior for drainage, and a spout connecting the bottom of thetapering case with the cylinders, and a pair of rubber-faced rollersarranged below the absorbent rollers and adapted to receive the materialfrom the absorbent rollers, substantially as described.

A machine for the manufacture of peat fuel from the crude material,consisting of a tapering case having a tapering screw, a pair ofcylinders covered with an absorbent material and having perforationsfordrainage, and a spout connecting the bottom of the tapering case withthe cylinders, and a pair of rubber-faced rollers arranged below theabsorbent rollers and adapted to receive the material from the absorbentrollers, and a dryingcylinder connected to said rubber-faced rollers,substantially as described.

4. In a machine for reducing peat to fuel,

a tapering case formed of a series of flanged plates arranged withopenings at their meeting edges.

5. The rectangular tapering drainage-case having a tapering screw andcorners provided. with drainage holes, substantially as described.

(3. In combination with the vertically-arranged tapering case and itsconveyer-screw vertically arranged, the cylinders having the absorbentcovering and perforations to the interior, and a spout connected to thelower end of the conveyer-case and having a flattened mouth arrangedbetween the rollers, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the drying mechanism of a peat-'inachine, thecompressing mechanism consisting of a main drivingshaft, a plungeroperated thereby, guides for moving the material laterally to bring itin front of the plunger, and supplemental plungers feeding the materialto the guides, substantially as described, and mechanism for operatingthe guides and plungers, substantially as described.

8. The compressing mechanism consisting of a plunger and guides andtheir operatingtoggles, said guides having curved wings 27, thesupplementary plungers, and mechanism for operating said plungers, theparts being arranged to operate substantially as described.

9. In a peat-machine and in combination with a suitable feed, a pair ofrollers having perforations and covered with absorbent material, wherebythe moisture is extracted from the material and discharged through therollers, substantially as described.

' 10. In combination, atapering case having a tapering feed andcompressing screw, a pair of cylinders inconnection with the bottom ofthe feed-case by means of a spout, a second pair of cylinders below thefirst pair, a drying-cylinder adapted to receive the material after itspassage through the second pair of rollers and to agitate and dry-thesame, and a compressing mechanism adapted to receive the material fromthe drying-cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIBALD A. DICKSON.

\Vitncsses:

S. M. HOWARD, F. L. MIDDLETON.

